Lighter



Mam El?? lia v. R. ABR/ms LIGHTER Filed oct. 25, 1940 2 sheds-sheet 1 ATTORN EY which il?? LIGHTER Filed Oct. 25, 1.940 B Sheebs-Shc-e'h 2 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 17, 1942 LIGHTER Victor R. Abrams, Maplewood, N. J., assignor to Cardinal Products Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 25, 1940, Serial No. 362,828

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in lighters used for lighting smoking articles, such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes.

It is an object of the present invention to cause ignition of a cigarette, cigar or pipe by hot gases or air accumulated above the heating element rather than by direct contact of the smoking article with the heating element.

It is another object of the present invention to utilize the smoking article as a cooperating device to seal contact between said article and the lighter whereby the said hot gases or hot air is prevented from escaping and is thereby effectively concentrated to ignite the tobacco when the smoking article is drawn upon.

The invention is particularly employable in a catalytic lighter wherein a catalyst is employed which becomes incandescent by the coaction of a mixture of atmospheric air and a vaporizable fuel therewith when the smoking article is drawn upon.

In order that a catalytic lighter particularly of the flameless type may be efficiently employed, it is essential that the smoking article to be lighted form an effective seal for the top of the chamber containing the catalyst unit and be spaced from the catalytic element so that when the said article, such as a pipe, is applied tothe lighter the catalyst may immediately function to heat the vaporizable fuel and air mixture accumulating above the catalyst and ignite the tobacco within the bowl of the pipe when the cigarette or pipe is drawn upon by the smoker.

Itis. therefore, another object of the present invention toprovide a catalytic lighter with means for spacing the bowl of the pipe from the catalytic element providing an enlarged heating chamber and for sealing the top of this chamber when the pipe to be smoked is appliedl to the lighter.

Instead of applying the article to be smoked directly to the active catalytic element or catalyst, the hot gases accumulating above the active catalyst is relied upon for ignition purposes the lighting of the said article will be accomplished in a more efficient manner and within a shorter period of time.

It is, therefore, another object of the present invention to provide a chamber between the active catalyst element and the article to be smoked for holding the hot gases during the lighting is to provide a Very practical, efficient, economical, simple and compact device for converting a cigarette lighter into a lighter which may be employed for igniting a pipe.

And yet another object of the present invention is to combine the above features, namely, eiiective sealing of the article to be smoked against the lighter and ignition of the said article by hot gases or hot air, in a single device.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following disclosure thereof together with the attached drawings which illustrate certain forms of embodiment thereof. As these forms are shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described. v

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top View of a catalytic lighter made in accordance with the invention, the cover being partly broken away to show the inside of the lighter;

Fig. 2 is a' sectional view taken through the center, namely, line 2-2 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates the application of the lighter of Figs. 1 and 2, to a pipe and also to a cigarette, the latter being` shown in dot-dash lines.

Fig. 4 is a top view of a'combned catalytic lighter and receptacle for holding cigarettes or tobacco, and made according to the invention in a modified form; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View of the device shown in Fig. 4 taken along line 5-5 thereof.v

Fig. 6 is a View showing the application of the invention in a still further modied form.

Reference will now be made to the drawings more in detail which disclose some examples of carrying into effect the invention.

In Figs. 1-3, there is shown a casing I0 which may be substantially elliptical in section and which may comprise the joined hollow parts II, I2 made of any suitable material, such as, plastic composition or metal; the parts II, I2 may be molded or stamped and formed out of metal, or one part may be formed out of metal and the other part out of plastic material. The parts I I, l2 are joined together at I3 by any suitable wellknown means. Substantially embracing the parts II, I2 is a metal band I4, forming at one end a hinge I5 and at its other end a snap locking element I6, for cover I1.- Formed out of part II is a central compartment or receptacle I8 and a circular compartment or channel I9 surrounding compartment I8. Compartment I 9 holds a ring of preferably resilient or yieldable material 9, such as, for example, rubber, rubber composition, asbestos, glass fabric, etc., which ring 9 protrudes somewhat above part II. Compartment I8 houses the catalytic unit and concommitant elements, which will now be described.

The catalytic unit may comprise a holder 2I on the bottom 28 of which is seated a screen disc 22 over which is disposed the preferably perforated catalyst 23 usually made of platinumsponge composition in the form` of a disc. Above The bottom of holder 2I is perforated and has a tubular extension 25 provided with spaced apart k annular flanges 26, 21, which, within the space'I therebetween is tted a rubber or other suitable' resilient washer 28 in sliding engagement with the inner face of wall 29 of compartment I8.

Bearing against ange 2'I is one end of a helical spring 32, the other end of spring 32 bearing against a resilient sealing disc 3I secured to bottom 3D of compartment I8, the purpose of said spring being to normally sliclably urge holder 2I upwardly against the action of cover II when the latter is closed.

'Ihe catalyst unit just described is removable from compartment I8. The cover II has a bulged portion 33 which facilitates retraction of holder 2| when the cover I'I is closed. 'Ihis p0rtion 33 may also serve as a seal for the top of the holder to prevent atmospheric air entering the holder and possibly affecting the catalyst during inoperative periods of the lighter.

Within the chamber 34 formed by the parts I I and I2 is disposed liquid fuel absorbent material 35. An inlet 3'I is provided through the wall of part II of the receptacle I0 for admitting atmospheric air into chamber 34. This inlet is sealed by a resilient member 38 secured to cover I 'I, when the latter is in closed position. An outlet 3B through the wall of compartment I8 offers communication between chamber 34 and compartment I8 for the passage of fuel vapor and air mixture to the catalyst 23.

The lighter may be filled with the vaporizable fuel, such as, methanol, either through compartment I8 (by removing the catalytic unit) or through air inlet 3l.

Within holder 2I` projects a funnel-shaped member 40. Member 4U may be held in its suspended condition by the inturned edge 4I of holder 2l gripping the upper edge thereof. The funnel shape of member 40 provides a constricted neck above the catalyst 23, the opening of which is less in diameter than that of a cigarette. If a cigarette is inserted in member 40, the tip thereof will wedge against the tapering wall of member"`40 and will be prevented from going further therein, thus assuring a space between the cigarette tip 42 and the catalyst 23 for the hot gases.

Member 4I) will also accommodate certain types of cigars maintaining the tip thereof spaced from the catalyst.

When the lighter is in its inoperative condition, the cover II being closed, the latter presses against the holder 2I of the catalytic unit maintaining the same in depressed or retracted position against the action of spring 32. The lower end of the tubular extension 25 presses against the rubber gasket'or seal 3|, thereby preventing the n vapor fuelv and air mixture entering the holder; Upon openingof the cover I'I, the cata# lyst holder 2I will be urged upwardly by the spring, separating tubular extension 25 from seal 3|. Now if the lighter is turned downwardly so that the resilient or yieldable sealing ring 9 is in engagement with the rim 43 of pipe 44 and the pipe is drawn upon, air will be admitted or sucked in through inlet 3'I, will mix with the fuel vapor and the mixture will ow through outlet 36 into compartment I8, thence into tubular extension 25 contacting with the catalyst 23. The catalyst will become incandescent and heat the gases passing therethrough and accumulating within chamber 40 and thereabout. 'Ihese hot gases will ignite the tobacco 45 within pipe 44.

To use the lighter for igniting a cigarette 42 (shown in dot-dash lines Fig. 3), the latter is inserted within hollow member 40 and gently pressed against the constricted wall thereof and the cigarette is drawn upon by the smoker. In like manner as that with the pipe, the hot gases accumulating within member 40 and the lower portion of` holder 2I will ignite the cigarette tobacco.

It is t0 be particularly noted that the smoking article to -be ignited is maintained in spaced relation with respect to the catalyst 23 so that ignition takes places by the hot gases located above the catalyst within a chamber sealed from the top by the article to be smoked, and not by direct contact with the catalyst.

Figs. 4 and 5 disclose a combined lighter and cigarette or tobacco container. The container 58 may be of any desirable type and may be made of any desirable material. The drawings show the container as being in the form of a can or metallic case. By way of suggestion the container may be a exible pouch for holding pipe tobacco.

The lighter generally indicated by the numeral 5I is tted into a tubular opening in container 50. Container is provided with' a cover 52 which may be hinged to the container as indicated at 53.

The lighter depicted in Figs. 4 and 5 has a cylindrical casing 54 to which may be screwthreaded a hollow head or receptacle 55 preferably made of plastic composition. Casing 54 is provided with an opening 56 at its bottom through which projects a button 51 to which is secured a stern 58 fixed to flanged sl'eeve member 59. Th'ecasing 54 contains an absorbent body 60 adapted to hold a vaporizable fuel. Within a recess 64 provided in head 55 is a cup or holder 6I containing the -catalyst element 62 disposed between the screen members 63, 83. Recess 64 communicates with oppositely disposed recess 65 by means of an opening 66. Fitted within recess 65 is a valve device comprising a valve head 61 having a stem 68 at the free end of which is connected a flange 69.

A rubber. or other suitable resilient element I0 acting as a seat for valve head 6l rests on a washer Il bearing against a shoulder of recess 65 and spaced from flange 69. A helical compression spring 'I2 is disposed between flange 59 and washer 'Il normally urging valve 61 into engagement with seat 'I8. The lighter parts so far described with respect to Figs. 4 and 5vare conventional. Upon depressing button 5'I stem 58 moves longitudinally first into contact with valve stem 68 and the stem 58 then operates to raise valve 61 oif its seat 10; air is admitted through the bottom opening 56 and mixes with the fuel vapor in the casing and when the cigarette is inserted in the chamber 'IB of the lighter head 55 and drawn upon, the air-fuel vapor mixture will pass through the opening between the raised valve 61 and seat 10 and then through perforation 66 into contact with catalyst B2 causing incandescense of the same.

Holder 6| is provided with a substantially funnel-shaped hollow member 11 similar to member 4D of Figs. 1-3 providing the constricted chamber 16 for the same purpose, as heretofore described with respect to member 40; and there is further provided the resilient or yieldable pipe support and seal element 15 for a purpose similar to that described with respect to member 9 of Figs. 1-3. The removable head or receptacle 55 of the lighter has a flange portion 14 bearing against the top of container 50 and the element 15 is seated upon the upper face of this flange portion, the upper portion 13 of head 55 being reduced in size to accommodate the element 15. A wash'er 18 is preferably provided at the juncture of head 55 and casing 54.

Fig. 6 discloses th'e invention in a further modified form and as being applicable to a lighter in which the active element is heated through an electrical source of power.

The lighter comprises a housing or receptacle 80 within which is disposed a non-metallic heating member 8| preferably formed of silicon carbide in capsule form, said member 8| being disposed between and making electrical contact with perforated metallic nichrome elements 82. Current is brought to the heating member 8| by means of a conductor 83 electrically connected to one of said elements 82 and by means of a compression spring 84 electrically connected to the other of said elements 82. The holder is preferably formed with a funnel-shaped chamber 85 for a purpose similar to that described with reference to member 4D of Figure 2 and member 11 of Figure 5. A pipe support and sealing element 86 may also be provided substantially as previously described.

In the disclosure of Fig. 6 as the cigarette 88 is applied to the lighter in chamber 86, air will be sucked from below the lighter in th'e direction of the arrow and as it passes through the heating element 8|, the air will become hot and will occupy the space 81 between the smoking article (cigarette shown in dotted lines) applied to the lighter and the heating member 8|. The elements 8| and 82 may be replaced by a spirally wound nichrome heating ribbon or wire of conventional design, if desired.

From the above description it will be readily seen that there has been provided by this invention lighters for cigarettes, cigars, pipes and the like, in which the various objects hereinbefore set forth, together with many thoroughly practical advantages, are successfully achieved.

Further, from the foregoing it can be realized that there has been provided a compressible hollow member of substantial depth for use in connection with a catalytic lighter of the flameless type, converting the lighter into a smokers pipe lighter, this hollow member which surrounds the receptacle holding the catalytic element forms an extension of the heating chamber of the lighter and sealingly spaces the bowl of the pipe from the catalytic element whereby the hot gases coming from the lighter is guided and expanded for full contact with the tobacco in the pipe. The heated gases within this enlarged heating chamber are sealed against infiltration of exterior cool air thus preserving the tobacco ignition temperature within said chamber.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a lighter of the llameless type having a receptacle containing a substantially flat catalytic heating element and a heating chamber above said element, of a compressible hollow member of substantial depth andk having a free upper face, said member surrounding said receptacle and forming an extension of said chamber converting said lighter into a smokers pipe lighter, the said upper face of said member being engageable by the open end of a pipe bowl, said chamber and said extension forming an enlarged heating enclosure, and said member serving to space the pipe bowl from said element, when said bowl is in engagement with said upper face.

2. In a lighter having a receptacle containing a substantially flat catalytic element capable of being heated, in combination, a hollow member eX- tendingabove said element forming a heating chamber defined by said hollow member, said element, and the tip of a smokers article when the said article is applied to the lighter, and a compressible ring member of substantial depth carried by said receptacle and surrounding said hollow member, said ring member being engageable by the open end of the bowl of a smokers pipe thereby spacing said bowl from said element and forming a larger heating chamber including the first mentioned heating chamber.

3. A lighter comprising a substantially circular body, a substantially flat catalytic heating element disposed substantially centrally in said body, a hollow member adjacent said heating element forming a heating chamber defined by said hollow member, said element and the tip of a smokers article when said article is applied to said lighter, a compressible ring member of substantial depth carried by said body and surrounding said hollow member, said ring member being engageable by the open end of the bowl of a smokers pipe thereby spacing saidv bowl fromk said element and forming a larger heating chamber including the first :mentioned heating chamber, and a cover hingedly carried by said body for sealing engagement with both said hollow member and said ring member for sealing both said chambers to atmosphere when the lighter is out of use.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a compressible hollow member for mounting upon a lighter of the nameless type having a catalytic heating element, said member having a free upper face, the hollow space within said member being of substantial depth thereby forming part of a heating chamber for the bowl of a pipe and thereby spacing said bowl from said element when the said bowl is applied to said upper face of said member, said member converting said lighter into a pipe lighter.

VICTOR R. ABRAMS. 

